Film for motion-pictures.



1, E. THORNTON.

FILM FOR MOTION PICTURES. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 26 1912.

1,229,546. Patented June 12, 1917.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN EDWARD THORNTON, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 JOHN OWDENOBRIEN, OF MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.

FILM FOR MOTION-PICTURES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 12, 1917.

Application filed November 26, 1912. Serial No. 733,633.

natural color Without the intervention of color screens, and comprises asingle film strip upon which successive complete color pictures followeach other in direct sequence.

The invention consists essentially in constructing a film of completecolor pictures from two or more (a plurality of) section picturenegatives by printing from each of such negatives a single film toobtain section color pictures and after being colored superimposing twoor more (a plurality) of such section color films to produce thecomplete color picture film.

Such a film will possess the following advantages over other motionpicture color film systems in which two or more films are employed (1).The film is a single strip of standard width and will therefore fit theregular projecting apparatus used for monochrome lms. I

(2). The pictures lEOl10j\V in direct sequence, instead of in alternatesequence as in another well-known system. Therefore it only uses halfthe amount of film that the former process uses, and can be projected atthe same speed as monochrome film, instead of requiring double speed, asthat does.

(3). It requires no color filters, before the projection lenses orbefore the film, therefore requires no special projecting apparatus,

and passes more light through because there are no screens.

(4). It is also more translucent because the image itself is a coloredone, instead of the usual black silver image plus color filters.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings.

The drawing represents a fragment of film parts being broken away toshow the different layers each having a different color.

By my invention the double or triple quantity of film is avoided, and asingle strip used, on which each succeeding image is a completecomposite picture in colors in itself, and requires only the samehandling in projection as asingle monochrome picture.

My invention consists in printing 011 each of a plurality, three forexample, of extremely thin strips of transparent photo-- graphic film aseries of pictures, the pictures on each film being identical as to theobject or position of the object shown with those on the other filmsexcept as to color.

The pictures on one film are printed in one of the three primary colors,as green. The next film has its pictures printed in another of theprimary colors, as red, and the third strip has the pictures printed inanother primary color, as violet.

The strips may be printed by means of any well known three colorprocess, so that only the greens will appear on one, the reds onanother, and the violets on the other.

The three strips are now cemented together by means of transparent,water-proof cement. In securing the strips together, the correspondingpictures on each strip must be exactly superimposed.

The pictures when viewed against the light or when projected on thescreen of a motion picture device will disclose the natural colors.

The ordinary cinematograph film is about five one thousandths of an inchin thickness and has a layer of emulsion about one one thousandths of aninch thick, thus mak ing a strip of six one thousandths of an inch inthickness. This film is very strong and easily handled and the presentday motion picture machines are built to handle The individual strips ofmy multi-layer color film must therefore be not more than .002 of aninch in thickness. They, therefore, consist of a cellulose base of .001to .0015 of an inch in thickness and a gelatin coating of .0005 of aninch thick, so that when the three are cemented together they will forma film of about the thickness of the commercial film.

What I claim as my invention and desire to protect by Letters Patent isy 1. A .film for motion pictures, consisting of a plurality of layerseach containing that portion of a picture represented by acertain color,each layer being colored With a complementary color, the layers beingsuperposed and secured together in proper relation to constitute acomplete picture in natural colors.

2. A film for motion pictures, consisting of a plurality of layers, eachlayerhaving sections each containing that portion of a picturerepresented by a certain color, each layer bein colored Wit/hi],complementary color, the layers being superposed and secured together inproper relation to constitute a series of complete pictures in naturalcolors.

3. A film for moving pictures comprising three layers, each layercontaining that portion of a picture represented by a. certain color andbeing colored by a complementary color, the layers being superposed andsecured together in proper relation to constitute a complete picture innatural colors, the combined thickness of the film thus produced beingless than six one-thousandths of an inch.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JOHN EDWARD THORNTON.

Witnesses:

J. OWDEN OBRIEN, GEO. H. OBRIEN.

